James “Stew” Stewart Jr’s military career is marked by perseverance and unexpected changes that began in 1983 when he got sick days before going to basic training but went on anyway.
When it became apparent that his health wasn’t improving, he received an RE-3F reenlistment code, meaning he wasn’t allowed to join the military at that time.
5 years later, Stew recovered and was ready to join the Army. He was one signature away from joining and decided to talk to a Marine recruiter. Stew passed the mental and physical tests for the Marines and was sent on his way to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot to begin his first steps toward becoming a Marine. He would go on to serve as a Marine for the next three decades until his retirement in 2009.
In addition to persevering on a long path to the Marines, one of the biggest lessons Stew learned as a Marine was leadership by example with a posture of service.
As his career progressed, those traits allowed Stew always to show his Marines that he would not have them do anything that he couldn’t or wouldn’t do and that he was willing to provide them with all the tools necessary to succeed as a Marine and in life.
Now at RedSky, Stew serves as the Sr. Technical Project Manager / DEI&A Program Manager.
When reflecting on his time as a Marine, he said, “ I’ve traveled the world and had experiences that I never dreamed of as a kid growing up in the inner city of Cleveland, OH. From basic training in South Carolina, being deployed in a Honduran jungle, being afloat in the Mediterranean, and hunkering down in an Iraqi desert, I’ve met some fascinating people and done some crazy things. If I could turn back the clock, I’d do it all again just like I did before.”
Stew understands just how far-reaching a military commitment is – his siblings and their children have also served, and the photo from this post is of Stew and his nephew in Al Asad, Iraq. Stew says, “ I love this photo as it kinda shows the changing of the guard for the Marines in my family. I was very happy to see him because it was a great moment in those trying times.”
We are so glad that Stew has now translated his love for service into his role with RedSky – we couldn’t complete our work without him!
